Stocks finished lower on Thursday, breaking a four-day winning streak, as bond yields tracked higher and investors digested an inflation report that showed headline inflation has remained sticky while some areas tracked by the Federal Reserve have continued cooling.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) dropped about 0.5%, or 170 points, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) fell 0.6%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) was also down 0.6%.
Thursday’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) report showed headline inflation held steady in September with prices increasing at a slightly faster pace than economists expected. Consumer prices rose 3.7% over last year in September, matching August’s increase. On a month-over-month basis, consumer prices rose 0.4%.
Yields on both the 10-year (^TNX) and 30-year Treasury (^TYX) were higher on Thursday. After several days of declines, the 30-year Treasury yield climbed to above 4.85%.
Eyes were also on the third quarter earnings season. Delta (DAL) stock was off over 2% as the company trimmed its profit outlook due to rising fuel prices. Next up on the earnings docket will be some of the nation’s largest financial institutions, with JPMorgan (JPM) Citi (C), Wells Fargo (WFC), and BlackRock (BLK) all expected to report on Friday.
In commodities, oil prices held steady while the market mood remains fragile as Israel builds up forces for an expected ground assault on Gaza. Crude oil futures (CL=F) were flat around $83.50 a barrel, while Brent crude futures (BZ=F) climbed slightly to trade above $86.